Chapter Text
For as long as Alhaitham had known him, Kaveh, the Kshahrewar alumni turned renowned Architect, had always been a hot topic amongst students and scholars of the Akademiya, as well as the common denizens of Sumeru City. Dubbed as the Light of Kshahrewar, whether it was for his exceptional talent as a youth, his hailed genius during his days as a student, his growing fame as an architect, or for more trivial reasons such as his stunning beauty, he'd only ever become a more interesting topic of conversation as time went on.
Recently, however, Kaveh had become a source of gossip and intrigue for a completely new reason: his sudden disappearance.
It was just a few months ago that he'd completed his proclaimed magnum opus, The Palace of Alcazarzaray, to great success. The road may have been bumpy, but the result was undeniable. The Palace was a stunning work of art and architecture. He'd been a well-known name for years, but after that, his name became known across all of Teyvat.
For a man, not only in his prime, but one just beginning to stretch the muscle of his full ability, the only thing everyone wanted to know was: what will he do next? What marvelous feat will he accomplish? How will he top his last?
What wasn't expected was that he'd completely up and vanish one day without a trace. His house was sold, and he was nowhere to be found. Speculations went wild for a while: could he be readying for his next project? Maybe he'd taken work in another nation? Perhaps he was on a well-deserved break?
With all things, however, as time ticked by, the topic of Kaveh's disappearance soon became old news, lost amongst hot new topics of gossip. The general consensus became: wherever he'd gone, as an artist, it was only a matter of time before he'd emerge again with a new and wondrous piece.
As for Alhaitham, he paid little attention to petty gossip and idle chatter. While he might be more acquainted with Kaveh than most, his relationship with the famous architect was no more than a footnote in the other's story. The two of them hadn't spoken since their days as students together, and it was best for both of them if it stayed that way. Like everyone else, he was a quiet observer of Kaveh's ascension. He didn't know where Kaveh might've disappeared off to any more than the next person.
Nevertheless, as a scholar himself, he possessed a healthy curiosity same as anyone else. While he might not have any interest in mundane gossip, as the Scribe for the Akademiya, he often became privy to information not up for public consumption.
When he'd learned that Kaveh had sold his house prior to the completion of the Palace, he'd been mildly curious. It suggested that, wherever he'd ran off to, he'd been planning it prior to his fame and notoriety shooting through the roof. But it wasn't until he heard rumors that Dori, the merchant who'd commissioned the Palace in the first place, was furious with Kaveh did he start to feel like something might be off.
If the Palace was completed, why would Dori be furious with Kaveh? He deduced that, after the destruction of the first attempt at the Palace, it was Kaveh who funded the second attempt. With everything he'd heard about Dori and knew of Kaveh, it was more than likely.
While he knew that Kaveh didn't lack for money, he also knew that he wasn't remotely wealthy enough to fund something like the Palace himself. The conclusion drew itself: Kaveh owed Dori money. Though his moral character had always been one of honesty, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that he might've left Sumeru City to run away from that debt.
Either way, it wasn't Alhaitham's business, and he didn't have the intention of meddling. That is, until he heard another rumor saying that Kaveh had accepted a job out in the desert right before his disappearance.
While he knew that Kaveh was a capable adult who could more than take care of himself, Alhaitham would be a liar if he said he hadn't begun to feel concerned. Kaveh was hailed as a genius; he wasn't stupid or naive. With that being said, he was overly optimistic, idealistic to a fault, and he'd shown a tendency to act rashly without thinking things through. If he'd accepted a sketchy job offer out of sheer desperation, that might be the real explanation for his disappearance, and not some fanciful artistic reason.
The two of them were an ill-fit pair, better off as cordial acquaintances. Anything more than that was a recipe for disaster, Alhaitham knew that. He also knew that, even if Kaveh were in some sort of trouble, he'd sooner eat a Cryo Slime than accept help from Alhaitham. Even if he desperately needed it.
Their friendship ended for a reason. Kaveh could make his own decisions and answer for them. Alhaitham could mind his own business and keep to himself, something he'd always done before.
The people of Sumeru had a new topic of gossip. Two months after Sumeru's newest rising star suddenly disappeared without explanation, another notable scholar also disappeared—Alhaitham, Scribe for the Akademiya. He'd left a notice for his leave of absence on his desk, and he hadn't been seen since.